Ottawa·NewA call for Kingston, Ont., to create “child safety zones” to block drug use and encampments within 50 metres of areas frequented by kids was withdrawn Tuesday night, but the councillor behind the push says it’s not over yet.Motion would have banned shelters, drug use within 50 metres of parks, splash pads, daycaresDan Taekema · CBC News · Posted: Oct 22, 2025 2:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 23 minutes agoA broken drug pipe rests in the mud at Doug Fluhrer Park in Kingston, Ont., on Wednesday. (Dan Taekema/CBC)A call for Kingston, Ont., to create “child safety zones” to block drug use and encampments within 50 metres of areas frequented by kids was withdrawn Tuesday night, but the councillor behind the push says it’s not over yet.The motion from Sydenham district Coun. Conny Glenn asked staff to draft amendments to city bylaws to establish a buffer around playgrounds, schools, daycares, splash pads and sports fields.It aimed to prohibit temporary shelters, drug paraphernalia and drug use in those areas.During Tuesday’s council meeting, Glenn said she made the proposal in response to “real concerns” brought by parents about drug paraphernalia found in parks over the past three years.’Harm reduction for children'”This is about striking a balance, about recognizing that children truly are among the most vulnerable in our society and that even despite our best efforts to monitor parks, we are creating a situation where parents are afraid and concerned,” she said.“I hope you see this as a motion that is about harm reduction — harm reduction for children. [It’s] about clear boundaries for everyone in the community.”Glenn’s motion received pushback even before it was introduced, including a delegation from Kristine Bedard, a community member who said she has struggled with homelessness and used drugs in the past.“What helped me was compassion, not fines of exclusion zones,” she told council. “Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t create safety. It drives people further into isolation and despair.”Councillors said they understood the idea behind the motion and had also heard from fearful families, but several raised concerns about how the zones would be enforced, and the legal jeopardy to which the city could be exposed.A box where people can drop used needles at McBurney Park in Kingston on Wednesday. (Dan Taekema/CBC)The city has twice tried to clear an encampment at Belle Park, but those attempts were denied by a judge who ruled it unconstitutional to ban overnight sheltering in parks.King’s Town Coun. Greg Ridge questioned whether Glenn’s motion offered anything new. City staff responded that Kingston already has a bylaw banning drug paraphernalia within 15 metres of playgrounds.The city’s lawyers also advised that any attempt to regulate where people can shelter in public risks a legal challenge.”I feel that there’s a lot of potential legal risk with moving forward with this motion as it currently exists,” said Ridge, a position echoed by Kingscourt-Rideau Coun. Brandon Tozzo.Opening up ‘a can of worms’Trillium district Coun. Jimmy Hassan suggested the zones would create an “unnecessary burden” on police and bylaw officers.”I don’t think we will be able to enforce effectively,” he said. “It’s not possible that you create those zones and then have enough staff to do that.”Others, including Countryside district Coun. Gary Oosterhof, applauded the motion, arguing the city has an “obligation when it comes to child safety.”Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson thanked Glenn for taking on such a “sensitive” issue and said he supports parts of the motion, but asked her to defer it for revision.Glenn agreed to remove the specific 50-metre requirement and asked staff to provide a legal opinion on the implications of creating exclusion zones, but even that faced criticism.”I think everybody around this table understands what you’re trying to do, but the approach here has not been the right way to do it,” said Pittsburgh district Coun. Ryan Boehme. “We are going to end up with a can of worms and a whole bunch of unintended consequences.”Glenn ultimately withdrew both the motion and the amendment, but told CBC on Wednesday that it’s being redrafted and she plans to reintroduce it soon — likely at the next council meeting on Nov. 4.ABOUT THE AUTHORDan Taekema is CBC’s reporter covering Kingston, Ont. and the surrounding area. He’s worked in newsrooms in Chatham, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa. You can reach him by emailing daniel.taekema@cbc.ca.Follow @DanTaekema on Twitter
Push for ‘child safety zones’ in Kingston parks hits hurdles at council
